Process for rendering wool nonfelting



Patented Aug. 14, .1945

UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE- PROCESS 1;?)8 RENDE BING WOOL NFELTING Frederick A. Bessel, Montclair, and John 3:. Rust,

Verona, N. 1., minor. to Ellis-Foster Company, a corporation of New Jersey No Drawing. Application November is, 1941, Serial No. 419,034

s Claims. (01. s-ms) This invention relates to a process of preventing the felting of wool and animal furs by treatment of the aforesaid materials with basic nitrogen.

compounds at elevated temperatures.

It is known that it is possible to produce noni'elting and non-shrinking wool by chlorination and bromination of the material in aqueous soluprocess involves a series of washings. The treated wool is placed in a large volume of hot (90-100 -.C.) water containing /2% of neutral soap in 9.

tion. There have also been described processes of 50 to 90 C. and at atmospheric pressure or higher depending upon the volatility of the compound. when wool is treated in this manner for periods varying from minutes to 1 hour, then rinsed and dried its properties have been altered to such purpose: water-soluble primary and secondary amines, compounds of analogous basic nature such as hydroxylamine, hydrazine, sernicarbazide, guanidine and the like; tetraethanolammonium hydroxide, tripropanolethanolammonium hydroxide, and other mildly basic quaternary ammonium hydroxides which do not have a dissolving action on the wool; alkali salts of amino acids such as sodium aminoaceta'te and the salts of the amino acids of proteins. Ammonium carbonate is moderately eflective but shows best results when used in combination with one of the other nitrogen compounds.

Usually if wool is heated for any extended length of] time in water under alkaline conditions at 50-90 C. it hasa tendency to felt badly a therefore, it is surprising that, under the conditions. of the present invention, Just the reverse is true and excellent non-felting characteristics are imparted to the .wool by this treatment.

The method used for testing the non-felting characteristics imparted to wool by the present washing machine and worked for 1 hour, after which the wool is rinsed and dried. The number of such treatments which the treated wool can endure before definite signs of felting are noted is taken as a measure of its resistance to felting.

' This washing procedure is similar to that used to test the permanency or cotton finishes and may be considered as quite drastic for W001.

Certain of the chemicals used herein (particularly when the treatment is too pronounced) may cause yellowing of the fiber. Where this coloration is not desired it may usually be removed by a light bleaching treatment. Wetting agents improve the uniformity of the treatment. The feel of the goods is usually unaltered but in certain cases a slight harshness maybe encountered, which'can be overcome by softening agents.

The alkalinity of the treating bath is in general about pH 11 but this may vary in certain cases between about pH 8 and pH 12. The temperature which has been'found most satisfactory is about 75 C. for about one half hour. However, as mentioned previously, a temperature in the general range of about to 90 C. and, correspondingly. for from minutes for the lower temperature to 15 minutes for the higher range is suitable. Other materials may also be present in the treating bath to accelerate or mitigate the reactions involved between the amine and wool. Suchmaterials may include sodium sulfate, sodium chloride, sodium acetate, sulfonated oils or long chain substituted aromatic derivatives, wetting agents such as sodium lauryl sulfate, dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate and the like.

Furthermore, since the pr sent process is-carried out under ,alkaline'conditions we have found that it may be combined with certain operations normally used in wool processing such as the preliminary and iinal scouring steps. For instance, wool knit goods was entered in a bath containing 2% of a sulfonated fatty oil derivative (e. g., that material sold under'the name of Sulfanole) and 4% of a basic nitrogen compound (e. g., monoeth. anolamine) at C. The treatment was continued for 40 minutes, then the wool was rinsed thoroughly and dried. By this treatment the wool was thoroughly scoured and had acquired nonfelting qualities as shown by the series of washings described above.

The following examples make use of the alkali salts of protein break-down products obtained by enzymic action.

Example 58.One gram of papain concentrate (proteolytic activity 10 mg.-15 seconds by Balls and Hoover method) was added to 7.5 g. gelatin in 96 cc. water and brought to pH by means of sodium sulflte. After standing for 2 days the odorless liquid was treated with sodium carbonate to pH 11, heated to 75 C. and knitted wool (1.85 g.) immersed therein for /2 hour. The

.fabric was thereafter rinsed in cold water and dried. Color and feel of the goods were satisfactory and 8 washings produced no felting.

Example 59.A mixture of 7.5 g. gelatin and 0.05 g. trypsin in 100 cc. water was brought to pH 9 and allowed to stand for 3 days. During this time a white precipitate formed. The suspension was shaken up, brought to pH with sodium carbonate and heated to 75 C. A piece of knitted wool (1.8 g.) was immersed for /z hour, then washed and dried. Color and feel were good. Some felting was observable after 9 washings.

Example 60.-Four grams of glue and 0.1 g. trypsin were added to 96 g. water and the solution brought to pH 9 with sodium carbonate. After standing for 4 days the solution, which had a strong odor, was heated to70 C. and a sample of knitted wool immersed therein for V2 hour. After rinsing and drying the piece showed good color and feel. It withstood 9 washings without felting.

Casein was used in place of glue in theabove example with similar results.

In Examples 36 and 37 sodium formaldehyde sulfoxylate is used with ammonium carbonate. It is believed that the following reactions occur and that methyl amine is formed:

ZNaSOz CHaOH-l- (NH4) 2CO3- 2118.802 CHzNH2+3H2O+CO2 NaLSOz CHzNHz-l-HaO-W'aHSOa CHaNH:

It may be remarked that under certain conditions we may operate our process at room temperature. However, the long time required makes such a temperature impractical so that we prefer, as mentioned previously, to use a temperature in the range of 50 to 90 C.

We claim:

1. Process of producing non-felting wool which comprises heating wool in an aqueous solution of from about 140% of a basic nitrogen compound selected from the group consisting of primary and secondary amines, mild quaternary ammonium bases which do not dissolve wool, and alkalisalts of amino acids, at to 90 C. for 15 to minutes; and thereafter rinsing and drying.

2. Process of producing non-felting wool which comprises heating wool in an aqueous solution of from about 1-10% of isopropyl amine at-50 to C. for 15 to 60 minutes, and thereafter rinsing and drying.

3. Process of producing non-felting wool which comprises heating wool in an aqueous solution of from about 1- 0% of guanidine at 50 to 90 C. for 15 to 60 minutes, and thereafter rinsing and drying.

4. Process of producing non-felting wool which comprises heating wool in an aqueous solution of from about 1-10% of ethylenediamine at 50 to 90 C. for 15 to 60 minutes, and thereafter rinsing and drying.

5. Process of producing non-felting wool which comprises heating wool in an aqueous solution of from about 1-10% of a primary amine at 50 to 90 C. for 15 to 60 minutes, and thereafter rinsing and drying.

6. Process of producing non-felting wool which comprises heating wool an' an aqueous solution of from about 1-10% of a primary amine with ammonium carbonate at 50 to 90 C. for 15 to 60 minutes, and thereafter rinsing and drying.

7. Process of producing non-felting wool which comprises heating wool in an aqueous solution of from about 1-10% of isopropyl amine with ammonium carbonate at-50 to 90 C. for 15 to 60 minutes. and thereafter rinsing and drying.

8. Process of producing non-felting wool which comprises heating wool in an aqueous solution of from about 1-10% of ethylenediamine with ammonium carbonate at 50 to 90 C. for 15 to 60 minutes, and thereafter rinsing and drying.

FREDERICK A. HESSEL. JOHN B. RUST. 

